SAN FRANCISCO, May 27, (THEWILL) – The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, has responded on Wednesday to accusations of corruption against him maintaining his innocence.
In a press statement, Adesina slammed “unprecedented attempts by some to tarnish my reputation” and declared “I will… continue to work with each and every one of our shareholders.”
The United States is pressing for an independent probe into charges by whistleblowers — declared as unfounded by an internal inquiry — of alleged embezzlement and favouritism under Adesina, who is bidding for a second five-year term at the bank.
“I maintain my innocence with regard to trumped-up allegations that unjustly seek to impugn my honour and integrity, as well as the reputation of the African Development Bank,” Adesina said.
He cited “my heroes, Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan, whose lives have shown that through pain we grow.”
“I am confident that fair, transparent and just processes that respect the rules, procedures and governance systems of the Bank, and rule of law, will ultimately prove that I have not violated the Code of Ethics of this extraordinary institution,” he said.
The 60-year-old is the only candidate in an election which was set for late May but which has been postponed until August because of the coronavirus pandemic. His bid has received the backing of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
On May 22, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin sent the bank’s board a letter expressing “deep reservations” about the outcome of an internal inquiry clearing Adesina, and urged the appointment of “an independent outside investigator of high professional standing.”
ALSO READ: US Calls For Independent Probe Of Akinwumi Adesina, Rejects AfDB Exoneration
“We fear that wholesale dismissal of all allegations without appropriate investigation will tarnish the reputation of this institution as one that does not uphold high standards of ethics and governance,” he wrote.
The bank’s ethics committee had totally exonerated Adesina, saying the whistleblowers’ 15-page complaint “rested on no objective, solid facts” while Adesina himself has previously dismissed the allegations as “spurious and unfounded” and “blatantly false.”
About the Author
